Roscommon’s Greatest Game by Tony Fallon©.2014

 Roscommon’s Greatest Game by Tony Fallon©.2014

In July 1962, this is now more than 50 years ago

The Connaught final was being played, far off in Mayo.

We didn’t have enough spare money, to travel so far,

And we all envied my sister Cora who worked in Castlebar.

All the experts said Galway, would be champions by dark

And expected to be playing for Sam, in Dublin’s Croke Park.

I worked with Matty Rogers in O’Connors, with the pay of a lad,          

Brendan Donnelly and I were from Rahara, we were football mad.       .

Jimmy Jones and I sewed flags of the colors blue and gold

And by Saturday evening at four o’clock  they were all sold

It was the topic of conversation, in our house day and night,

And we knew Roscommon was ready, to give them a fight.

Football was the only conversation, in the Knockcroghery pubs

The Roscommon Champion had a list, of all the players and subs

The circle round our radio, would be greatly enlarged,

And my father had the second battery, ready and charged.

The newsman said the weather in Castlebar, was only fair,

And we knew in 15 minutes, we’d hear Michael O’Hehir.

The roar in Castlebar, could be heard across the valley,

When the Rossies took the field, behind Gerry O’Malley.

The pressure kept on building, while they sang the soldiers song

And we knew the throw in, would take place, before too long.

The first half wasn’t too exciting, as they were us outscoring,

But the crowd was in the game, and it certainly wasn’t boring.

Our kick-outs weren’t long enough, they weren’t going far

And lording mid field was Matty McDonagh, from Ballygar.

A free for Roscommon, and there was not a sound in the room

There were very few misses by Don Feeley, the man from Kiltoom.

But more scores were going to Galway, and it looked like they’d survive,

And with less than 15 minutes left, they were ahead by five.

At least one Galway fan was leaving, and starting up his car,

When Aiden Brady leaped up, and pulled down the crossbar.

A carpenter with a hammer and nails, was within a few minutes found,

And fans said to each other, “this never happened on any other ground”.

When repairs had been quickly made Brady said he understood,

That it was only temporarily held together and wasn’t very good.

When the game resumed, O’Malley had been moved, to mark another foe

And for the rest of this Connaught Final, he put on a one man show.

He caught the ball, he solo ran, he passed it off; the ball is in the net,

The crowd went wild with excitement, there was some hope yet.

Points were exchanged, Galway are still ahead by two, then three

And the Brideswell man has the ball again, he doesn’t want a free.

He’s going through, I can’t stand it, my shirt is soaked in sweat.

O’Hehir screams on the radio, “the ball is in the back of the net.”

Oh mercy, oh mercy we all wish we had gone, even if we had to walk

And poor Michael O’Hehir was so hoarse, he could barely talk

The sides were now level, who could think we’d come back so far,

O’Malley to the other  Feely, for the lead, as Des sent it over the bar.

All over the world, Roscommon people prayed, that this would be our day,

That the Blue and Gold would hold the lead, and there would be no replay.

My mother knelt in front of the Blessed Virgin, with rosary and missal,

Praying Roscommon would hold onto the lead, until the final whistle.

They’ll talk forever about that great victory, below in Castlebar.

And about Gerry O’Malley, Aiden Brady and the broken cross bar.